Brenda Rice, CEO

20 Conet Street
P.O. Box 535
Winchester, KY 40392-0535

Phone: (859) 745-7969
Fax: (859) 744-3783

Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region is named for the characteristic local grass, Poa pratensis, which is used extensively in pastures, especially on the numerous world-famous horse farms. Five of its counties described below are extremely rural, and are among the poorest in the state. Their total population is about 157,000 and the poverty rates range from 13.6 to 22.7 percent.

Clark County’s northern half includes rolling hills, while the southern portions feature rough and broken landscapes. Similarly, Powell County’s geography is diverse, ranging from low plains to mountains over 1400 feet. It is home to several nature preserves and the Daniel Boone National Forest, and is believed to be where Boone first caught sight of the Bluegrass Region in 1769. Estill County’s rocky and mountainous southern half is rich with minerals, such as coal, iron ore, and lead. Montgomery County was named in honor of an American Revolutionary War general killed in battle. The county originally stretched all the way to the Virginia border, but other counties were carved out, and today it is one of the smallest of Kentucky's 120 counties. Madison County is the birthplace of western pioneer Kit Carson and the location of Daniel Boone’s outpost, Fort Boonesborough.